Don’t Strangle The Goose

This is an open letter to Edwin Kanguatjivi, who is the head of the Namibia Film Commission.

THE article with the headline ‘Talking movies in Namibia’ by Augetto Craig in The Namibian (The Weekender) of August 25, was timely and welcome, with all the current and prospective international film productions set in Namibia. I wish to comment on some of the statements and views expressed in the article.As much as I agree with Minister Mutorwa, that relatively few Namibians currently benefit from technical or creative jobs on foreign film productions, I would like to strongly refute the notion that the overall Namibian economic benefits of foreign film productions are as yet negligible.As manager of two large, budget-oriented accommodation establishments at the coast, and as member of the Hospitality Association of Namibia, I highly value the immediate economic benefits that large-scale foreign film productions bring with them, as they aid our economic survival outside of the Namibian and SA holiday seasons.Numerous other hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs, across the whole price spectrum, have been able to show excellent 2006 low-season occupancy figures, mainly due to the foreign film contingent.The entertainment spending of the generally young and adventurous movie crews in shops, restaurants, bars and leisure activities is a similarly welcome shot in the arm of the local economy.Minister Nandi-Ndaitwah’s assertion that over N$500 million has flowed into Namibian coffers since 2000 as a direct result of foreign film productions in Namibia is a good indication of the importance of this sector to the national economy.The question we should therefore be asking is: “How can we nurture and grow this goose that lays the golden eggs?” Some of the recommendations on how to increase benefits for Namibians, as suggested in the article, such as a 10 per cent tax imposed on salaries of foreign crew members, quotas of local employees to work on foreign productions, forced donation of props and wardrobes, forced co-operation with local companies, etc., will strangle the goose, rather than provide the flexible, enabling environment which is an essential life-line to these creative industries.We should always remember why foreign major feature film productions choose Namibia for their locations.Note: They do not come here because of us, the Namibian people! They come here, firstly and most importantly, because of our grand landscapes and the iconic desert environment, which can be portrayed as a desert environment anywhere in the world where the specific movie plot is set.(To my knowledge, all the major feature films ever produced in Namibia were set and filmed in the desert – not in the bush, wetlands or towns.) Secondly, they come to Namibia because it is a “desert” country that “works”, contrary to many other countries with similarly spectacular desert environments.Namibia offers political stability (most other grand desert environments are found in countries with anti-US sentiments), combined with a solid level of basic infrastructural, logistical and hospitality support services, such as smooth working harbours and airports, reputable car hire, reliable power supply, extensive telecommunication networks and a wide range of hotel and catering services.We should also not forget the significant advantage of our official language, to productions from Anglophone countries, in terms of official and local staff communication.Thirdly, foreign producers choose Namibia because it’s relatively cheaper to produce here than in many other countries, in terms of the currency differential, and also because much of the required infrastructure and services can be procured locally or from across our borders.Lastly, Namibia offers a transparent system of bureaucracy and low levels of corruption with regard to official filming authorisations and other processes, such as work permits, import of goods, etc.The NFC’s good work needs to be acknowledged in this regard.Thus, a good many pro-Namibia factors in the choice of location for a desert scene.We should try our best to keep it that way; to keep it simple, cost-effective and non-bureaucratic for foreign productions in Namibia.I could agree to some form of training component to be associated with the granting of the filming permit, such as a system of understudies or practical on-the-job training to be provided.However, this should not come as a direct cost, time constraint or other impediment to the producers, but may have to be subsidised by the NFC from the levies paid by the producer.It should be seen as an opportunity for advancement, not as a right to participate.We can rest assured that foreign producers will employ Namibians, individuals and service providers, as soon as these prove that they can deliver the goods, on time, in a highly energised and costly environment where there is no tolerance for error or loss of time.The argument is similar as the one against the tight immigration policy on work visas for investors.Actually, foreign investors will gladly appoint local staff, instead of bringing in costly expatriates, as long as the local staff can do the same job.Therefore, Namibians should start with equipping themselves for the job, not expect others to do it for them or expect obligatory handouts through all sorts of penalties or requirements to be imposed on foreign filmmakers.We should first deliver, and then expect to be paid for a job well done, not the other way round.This may be a bitter pill to the proponents of a perceived neo-Namibian “demand culture”, but at the end of the day it is the international production houses which call the shots and the locations.He who pays the piper… Producers of big-budget productions will tender various components out to sub-contractors, and these in turn to sub-sub-contractors.The problem in Namibia is that, apart from the lack of specialist skilled technical staff, there are only few and small local specialist film production services, which would be more inclined to appoint local staff when working on big projects.Clearly, the big international production houses will prefer to outsource whole components of work to one large specialist production business, instead of having to deal with numerous small local outfits or hundreds of Namibian aspirant individuals who all want to have a part in making a movie.Clearly also, if such large specialist production houses are only found outside of Namibia, most jobs will also go to non-Namibians – people they know and have worked with before.A case in point is the ‘10,000 BC’ movie currently being filmed at the coast.It is a large American production, reputedly the largest production ever on African soil, which has recruited technical and logistical services mostly from SA.In planning the production, they have obviously investigated Namibia and have not found sufficient specialist service providers for the jobs at hand.In order to have a greater share in international productions, we therefore need to get our own house in order first and establish a credible and competent commercial service sector for the film industry.The downside to this argument is of course that there are only a limited number of major feature movies that are set in a desert environment.Therefore, all businesses that indirectly benefit from movie productions (e.g.hospitality) need to treat such income as a windfall profit, because it may not happen again for some years.It also means that specialist film industry businesses will not be able to count on stable revenues from one year to the next and this may stymie growth and diversification of the sector.In SA there is a large, well-established film industry, with a large array of landscapes to choose from.But, more importantly, there is already a large service infrastructure of high-tech studios, technical support and skills in place.This has grown and developed over many years of domestic and international productions, especially commercial and advertising productions.Clearly Namibia has a lot of catching up to do before we can hope to provide such comprehensive services to major films.I do agree with the sentiment that the NBC, as a domestically funded institution, can play a major part in stimulating local productions, to keep the local film industry fed and clothed, so that they can gather experience and develop, build a reputation and a capital base and eventually play an increasing part in foreign productions.Smaller productions, documentaries and advertising shoots are the stepping stones to greater projects.Developing a skills base and a credible service sector is a process that must be developed from the grassroots up.It cannot be forcibly shaken from the top of the tree, else that tree will wither away.Now that we have some major productions lined up, let us not ask how we can milk them, but rather how can we best assist them and improve our services to meet their requirements.The proposed database of local service providers and skilled technical/creative staff is a good start.For the sake of the rest of the Namibian economy and tourism industry and thus countless of service industry employees, who already benefit significantly from foreign film production, please do not strangle the geese that are the large international productions, lest they will fly away and lay their eggs in some other land, but rather build for them a cushy nest to return to time and again.Dear Edwin, I would encourage distribution of this call for circumspection and cautionary note through your networks, if you so deem fit.Sincerely, Frank LoehnertI wish to comment on some of the statements and views expressed in the article.As much as I agree with Minister Mutorwa, that relatively few Namibians currently benefit from technical or creative jobs on foreign film productions, I would like to strongly refute the notion that the overall Namibian economic benefits of foreign film productions are as yet negligible.As manager of two large, budget-oriented accommodation establishments at the coast, and as member of the Hospitality Association of Namibia, I highly value the immediate economic benefits that large-scale foreign film productions bring with them, as they aid our economic survival outside of the Namibian and SA holiday seasons.Numerous other hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs, across the whole price spectrum, have been able to show excellent 2006 low-season occupancy figures, mainly due to the foreign film contingent.The entertainment spending of the generally young and adventurous movie crews in shops, restaurants, bars and leisure activities is a similarly welcome shot in the arm of the local economy.Minister Nandi-Ndaitwah’s assertion that over N$500 million has flowed into Namibian coffers since 2000 as a direct result of foreign film productions in Namibia is a good indication of the importance of this sector to the national economy.The question we should therefore be asking is: “How can we nurture and grow this goose that lays the golden eggs?” Some of the recommendations on how to increase benefits for Namibians, as suggested in the article, such as a 10 per cent tax imposed on salaries of foreign crew members, quotas of local employees to work on foreign productions, forced donation of props and wardrobes, forced co-operation with local companies, etc., will strangle the goose, rather than provide the flexible, enabling environment which is an essential life-line to these creative industries.We should always remember why foreign major feature film productions choose Namibia for their locations.Note: They do not come here because of us, the Namibian people! They come here, firstly and most importantly, because of our grand landscapes and the iconic desert environment, which can be portrayed as a desert environment anywhere in the world where the specific movie plot is set.(To my knowledge, all the major feature films ever produced in Namibia were set and filmed in the desert – not in the bush, wetlands or towns.) Secondly, they come to Namibia because it is a “desert” country that “works”, contrary to many other countries with similarly spectacular desert environments.Namibia offers political stability (most other grand desert environments are found in countries with anti-US sentiments), combined with a solid level of basic infrastructural, logistical and hospitality support services, such as smooth working harbours and airports, reputable car hire, reliable power supply, extensive telecommunication networks and a wide range of hotel and catering services.We should also not forget the significant advantage of our official language, to productions from Anglophone countries, in terms of official and local staff communication.Thirdly, foreign producers choose Namibia because it’s relatively cheaper to produce here than in many other countries, in terms of the currency differential, and also because much of the required infrastructure and services can be procured locally or from across our borders.Lastly, Namibia offers a transparent system of bureaucracy and low levels of corruption with regard to official filming authorisations and other processes, such as work permits, import of goods, etc.The NFC’s good work needs to be acknowledged in this regard.Thus, a good many pro-Namibia factors in the choice of location for a desert scene.We should try our best to keep it that way; to keep it simple, cost-effective and non-bureaucratic for foreign productions in Namibia.I could agree to some form of training component to be associated with the granting of the filming permit, such as a system of understudies or practical on-the-job training to be provided.However, this should not come as a direct cost, time constraint or other impediment to the producers, but may have to be subsidised by the NFC from the levies paid by the producer.It should be seen as an opportunity for advancement, not as a right to participate.We can rest assured that foreign producers will employ Namibians, individuals and service providers, as soon as these prove that they can deliver the goods, on time, in a highly energised and costly environment where there is no tolerance for error or loss of time.The argument is similar as the one against the tight immigration policy on work visas for investors.Actually, foreign investors will gladly appoint local staff, instead of bringing in costly expatriates, as long as the local staff can do the same job.Therefore, Namibians should start with equipping themselves for the job, not expect others to do it for them or expect obligatory handouts through all sorts of penalties or requirements to be imposed on foreign filmmakers.We should first deliver, and then expect to be paid for a job well done, not the other way round.This may be a bitter pill to the proponents of a perceived neo-Namibian “demand culture”, but at the end of the day it is the international production houses which call the shots and the locations.He who pays the piper… Producers of big-budget productions will tender various components out to sub-contractors, and these in turn to sub-sub-contractors.The problem in Namibia is that, apart from the lack of specialist skilled technical staff, there are only few and small local specialist film production services, which would be more inclined to appoint local staff when working on big projects.Clearly, the big international production houses will prefer to outsource whole components of work to one large specialist production business, instead of having to deal with numerous small local outfits or hundreds of Namibian aspirant individuals who all want to have a part in making a movie.Clearly also, if such large specialist production houses are only found outside of Namibia, most jobs will also go to non-Namibians – people they know and have worked with before.A case in point is the ‘10,000 BC’ movie currently being filmed at the coast.It is a large American production, reputedly the largest production ever on African soil, which has recruited technical and logistical services mostly from SA.In planning the production, they have obviously investigated Namibia and have not found sufficient specialist service providers for the jobs at hand.In order to have a greater share in international productions, we therefore need to get our own house in order first and establish a credible and competent commercial service sector for the film industry.The downside to this argument is of course that there are only a limited number of major feature movies that are set in a desert environment.Therefore, all businesses that indirectly benefit from movie productions (e.g.hospitality) need to treat such income as a windfall profit, because it may not happen again for some years.It also means that specialist film industry businesses will not be able to count on stable revenues from one year to the next and this may stymie growth and diversification of the sector.In SA there is a large, well-established film industry, with a large array of landscapes to choose from.But, more importantly, there is already a large service infrastructure of high-tech studios, technical support and skills in place.This has grown and developed over many years of domestic and international productions, especially commercial and advertising productions.Clearly Namibia has a lot of catching up to do before we can hope to provide such comprehensive services to major films.I do agree with the sentiment that the NBC, as a domestically funded institution, can play a major part in stimulating local productions, to keep the local film industry fed and clothed, so that they can gather experience and develop, build a reputation and a capital base and eventually play an increasing part in foreign productions.Smaller productions, documentaries and advertising shoots are the stepping stones to greater projects.Developing a skills base and a credible service sector is a process that must be developed from the grassroots up.It cannot be forcibly shaken from the top of the tree, else that tree will wither away.Now that we have some major productions lined up, let us not ask how we can milk them, but rather how can we best assist them and improve our services to meet their requirements.The proposed database of local service providers and skilled technical/creative staff is a good start.For the sake of the rest of the Namibian economy and tourism industry and thus countless of service industry employees, who already benefit significantly from foreign film production, please do not strangle the geese that are the large international productions, lest they will fly away and lay their eggs in some other land, but rather build for them a cushy nest to return to time and again.Dear Edwin, I would encourage distribution of this call for circumspection and cautionary note through your networks, if you so deem fit.Sincerely, Frank Loehnert

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